Security document and method of producing it

Abstract

A security document such as a bank note, identity card or the like, includes at least one multilayer security element made of at least two layers of reaction lacquer or adhesive between which diffraction structures, in particular holographic structures, exist in the form of a relief. A reflective layer is additionally disposed between the layers of lacquer. The reaction lacquer of adhesive is the type curable or cross-linkable under physical (e.g. radiation) and/or chemical activation.

We claim: 
     
       1. A security document such as bank note, identity card or the like with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, a first plastic layer directly contacting the document, on the one hand, and directly contacting the reflective layer, on the other hand, said first plastic layer comprising a layer of reaction lacquer selected from the group consisting of cationically curing lacquers, blue light-curing lacquers and chemically curing multicomponent lacquers. 
     
     
       2. The security document of claim 1, wherein the second plastic layer likewise comprises a reaction lacquer selected from the group consisting of cationically curing lacquers, blue light-curing lacquers and chemically curing multicomponent lacquers. 
     
     
       3. The security document of claim 1, wherein the first plastic layer is formed as a cationically curing UV lacquer and the second plastic layer as a radically curing UV lacquer. 
     
     
       4. The security document of claim 1, wherein both the first plastic layer and the second plastic layer comprise a chemically curing multicomponent lacquer. 
     
     
       5. The security document of claim 1 wherein the reflective layer has a thickness smaller than 1 micron. 
     
     
       6. The security document of claim 5, wherein the thickness is about 0.01 microns. 
     
     
       7. The security document of claim 1 wherein the reflective layer includes openings. 
     
     
       8. The security document of claim 7, wherein the openings comprise microcracks or micropores in the reflective layer. 
     
     
       9. The security document of claim 7, wherein the openings in the reflective layer are present systematically in a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
       10. The security document of claim 1 wherein the reflective layer is a metal layer. 
     
     
       11. An antifalsification paper for producing a bank note, identity card or the like with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are disposed in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, a first plastic layer directly contacting the document, on the one hand, and directly contacting the reflective layer, on the other hand, said first plastic layer comprising a layer of reaction lacquer selected from the group consisting of cationically curing lacquers, blue light-curing lacquers and chemically curing multicomponent lacquers. 
     
     
       12. The security document of claim 11, wherein the security element is configured in the form of a thread or band. 
     
     
       13. A method for producing an antifalsification paper, in particular for producing a bank note, identity card or the like, with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: introducing a layer of reaction lacquer between an antifalsification paper and a matrix bearing the diffraction structure, activating the reaction lacquer shortly before and/or during contacting between said one plastic layer and the paper, and carrying out curing of the lacquer at least during such contacting (contact) to an extent such that the layer of reaction lacquer bears the diffraction structure after separation from the matrix, and in the absence of radiation during such contacting,   providing the embossed layer of reaction lacquer with the reflective layer, and   applying a further layer of reaction lacquer to the reflective layer.   
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13, wherein the layer of reaction lacquer to be embossed comprises a cationically curing lacquer, in particular a cationically curing UV lacquer. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 13, wherein the layer of reaction lacquer to be embossed comprises a chemically curing multicomponent lacquer. 
     
     
       16. A method for producing an antifalsification paper, in particular for producing a bank note, identity card or the like, with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: introducing a layer of reaction lacquer between an antifalsification paper and a matrix bearing the diffraction structure, the reaction lacquer being a blue light-curing lacquer which is cured through the paper during contacting between said one plastic layer and the paper to an extent such that the layer of reaction lacquer bears the diffraction structures after separation from the matrix,   providing the embossed layer of reaction lacquer with the reflective layer, and   applying a further layer of reaction lacquer to the reflective layer.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, wherein the blue light-curing lacquer is applied directly to the paper, provided with the embossing after such application to the paper, irradiated with blue light through the paper during the embossing process and thereby cured. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 13, wherein the layer of reaction lacquer to be embossed is applied to the paper at least in partial areas. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 13, wherein the layer of reaction lacquer to be embossed is applied to the matrix at least in partial areas and transferred directly to the paper with the embossing. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 13, wherein the security element is applied to the antifalsification paper in the form of a thread or band. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 13, wherein the embossed layer of reaction lacquer is provided only partly with the reflective layer so that the embossed layer and the second layer of reaction lacquer are in direct contact with each other in the areas free of the reflective layer. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 13, wherein a metal layer is applied as the reflective layer by the vacuum metalizing technique or by the photolytic metalizing technique. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 13, wherein the matrix is first provided with a metalization and the layer of reaction lacquer to be embossed is only then applied to this metalization. 
     
     
       24. A method for producing an antifalsification paper, in particular for producing a bank note, identity card or the like, with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present m the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: providing a carrier material with at least one plastic layer comprising reaction lacquer as well as a reflective layer in which the diffraction structures are embossed,   providing the antifalsification paper and/or the reflective layer at least in partial areas with a further layer of reaction lacquer,   bringing the antifalsification paper and the reflective layer in contact over the further layer of reaction lacquer, activating the reaction lacquer shortly before and/or during such contact and carrying out the curing of the reaction lacquer during such contact to an extent such that an inseparable compound arises, and in the absence of radiation during such contact, and   removing any transfer foil that may be present where the carrier material contains a transfer foil.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first layer of reaction lacquer to be applied to the paper or the reflective layer comprises a cationically curing UV lacquer. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 24, wherein the paper and the reflective layer are each provided with one component of a multicomponent reaction lacquer, and the multicomponent reaction lacquer is cured chemically during such contact. 
     
     
       27. A method for producing an antifalsification paper, in particular for producing a bank note, identity card or the like, with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: providing a carrier material with at least one plastic layer comprising a reaction lacquer as well as a reflective layer in which the diffraction structures are embossed,   providing the antifalsification paper and/or the reflective layer at least in partial areas with a further layer of reaction lacquer,   bringing the antifalsification paper and the reflective layer in contact over the further layer of reaction lacquer, wherein the reaction lacquer comprises a blue light-curing lacquer which is cured through the paper during such contact to an extent such that an inseparable compound arises, and   removing any transfer foil that may be present where the carrier material contains a transfer foil.   
     
     
       28. The method of claim 27, wherein the blue light-curing lacquer is applied directly to the paper. 
     
     
       29. A method for producing a security document such as a bank note, identity card or the like with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: introducing a layer of reaction lacquer between the paper and a matrix bearing the diffraction structure, activating the reaction lacquer shortly before and/or during such contacting between the one plastic layer and the paper, and carrying out curing of the reaction lacquer during such contacting to an extent such that the layer of reaction lacquer bears the diffraction structure after separation from the matrix, and in the absence of radiation during such contacting,   providing the embossed layer of reaction lacquer with the reflective layer, and   applying a further layer of reaction lacquer to the reflective layer.   
     
     
       30. A method for producing a security document such as a bank note, identity card or the like with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: introducing the layer of reaction lacquer between the document material and a matrix bearing the diffraction structure, said reaction lacquer comprising a blue light-curing lacquer which is cured through the document material during such contacting to an extent such that the layer of reaction lacquer bears the diffraction structures after separation from the matrix,   providing the embossed layer of reaction lacquer with the reflective layer, and   applying a further layer of reaction lacquer to the reflective layer.   
     
     
       31. A method for producing a security document such as a bank note, identity card or the like with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: providing a carrier material with at least one plastic layer comprising a reaction lacquer as well as a reflective layer in which the diffraction structures are embossed,   providing the document material and/or the reflective layer at least in partial areas with a further layer of reaction lacquer,   bringing the document material and the reflective layer in contact over the further layer of reaction lacquer, activating the reaction lacquer shortly before and/or during the contacting between said one plastic layer and the paper, and curing the reaction lacquer during such contacting to an extent such that an inseparable compound arises, and in the absence of radiation during such contacting, and   removing any transfer foil that may be present where the carrier material contains a transfer foil.   
     
     
       32. A method for producing a security document such as a bank note, identity card or the like with a multilayer security element having at least two plastic layers comprising reaction lacquers between which diffraction structures, for example holographic structures, are present in the form of a relief structure and which are combined with a reflective layer, one of the plastic layers directly contacting the paper, comprising the steps of: providing a carrier material with at least one plastic layer comprising reaction lacquer as well as a reflective layer in which the diffraction structures are embossed,   providing the document material and/or the reflective layer at least in partial areas with a further layer of reaction lacquer,   bringing the document material and the reflective layer in contact over the further layer of reaction lacquer, and using as the reaction lacquer a blue light-curing lacquer, and curing the reaction lacquer through the document material during such contacting to an extent such that an inseparable compound arises, and   removing any transfer foil that may be present where the carrier material contains a transfer foil.